It  Happens  in  Japan 


It  Happens  in  Japan 


THE  WOMANS  PRESS 

600  LEXINGTON  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK 
1918 


Copyright.  191',  by 

The  National  Board  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Associations 
OF  the  United  States  of  America 
600  Lexington  Avenue 
New  York  City’ 


FOREWORD 


Everywhere — people  and  more  people!  That  is  what  you  think 
as  you  fly  through  Japan  on  an  excellent  government  train,  for  you 
are  rarely  out  of  sight  of  little  brown  villages  cind  industrious  people. 
The  men  and  women  are  always  at  work  and  often  the  children 
are  helping.  They  are  busy  in  the  fields  and  in  the  tiny  farms,  in 
the  orchards  of  mulberries  picking  leaves  for  the  silkworms,  or  on 
the  hillsides  gathering  twigs  for  fuel,  or  on  the  road  acting  as  beasts 
of  burden  between  the  shafts  of  heavily  laden  wagons. 

The  villages  are  a dozen  or  fifty  houses  sitting  in  friendly  fashion 
along  the  road.  The  house  walls,  wooden  frames  covered  with 
rice  paper,  are  pushed  back  during  the  day  to  let  the  world  look  in. 
There  is  little  to  be  seen  inside,  however,  for  Buddhism  teaches  that 
it  is  only  by  separating  oneself  completely  from  things  of  this  world 
that  one  may  hop>e  to  become  part  of  the  Nothingness  which  is  the 
Buddhist  ideal  of  the  life  hereafter.  But  the  homes  are  comfortable 
and  well-to-do  families  always  have  a storeroom  where  their 
treasures  are  kept,  to  be  brought  out  a few  at  a time. 

While  most  of  the  Japanese  are  nominally  followers  of  Buddha, 
many  find  his  teachings  unsatisfying,  for  the  message  he  left  his 
disciples  was,  “I  do  not  know  if  there  is  a god.”  So  the  people 
try  to  fill  their  natural  religious  craving  with  many  minor  gods,  of 
luck,  mercy,  wealth,  plenty,  and  happiness,  as  well  as  the  mis- 
chievous half-gods  who  live  in  the  fields  emd  forests. 

But  it  is  rather  difficult  to  keep  your  faith  in  the  god  of  rain  after 
you  have  learned  the  causes  of  rmn  in  one  of  the  modern  schools 
which  the  government  says  all  young  Japan  must  attend.  Japan 
to-day  stands  near  the  top  of  the  nations  in  literacy,  with  ninety-seven 
per  cent  of  her  men  and  ninety-eight  per  cent  of  her  women  literate. 
However,  in  spite  of  modern  education  the  country  peasant  is  often 


3 


many  generations  behind  the  city  dweller,  as  he  discovers  when  he 
goes  to  one  of  the  great  cities.  The  lure  of  the  city  is  as  strong  in 
Japan  as  it  is  here,  and  for  the  same  reasons. 

A foreigner  who  for  the  first  time  visits  one  of  the  large  pro- 
gressive cities  of  Japan  finds  less  that  is  new  and  strange  to  him 
than  does  a country-bred  Japanese.  Airships,  trolley  cars,  tele- 
phone, telegraph,  paved  streets,  city  water  system,  substantial  office 
buildings,  traffic  police,  factories,  a department  store  whose  roof 
garden  has  a soda  water  fountain,  movies,  winking  electric  signs. 
What  makes  a city  to-day?  Whatever  it  is,  you  will  find  it  in 
Tokyo  or  Osaka,  side  by  side  with  old  Japan. 

Factory  girls?  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  them  making  safety 
matches  (look  on  the  label  on  the  next  box  you  buy — maybe  it 
came  from  Tokyo),  neckties  (look  at  them  in  the  next  haberdasher’s 
window),  cotton  goods,  silks,  hairbrushes,  toothbrushes,  a certain 
well-known  dentifrice,  toys;  many  indeed  are  the  necessities  and 
luxuries  made  for  us  by  the  skilful  Japanese. 

Factory  laws?  Yes,  recently  a few,  through  the  efforts  of 
Japanese  Christians  and  missionaries  to  create  public  opinion. 
There  need  to  be  more. 

Business  girls,  office  girls,  women  teachers  and  even  women 
reporters  are  found  in  this  up-to-the-minute  country. 

Tokyo  in  Japan  and  Calcutta  in  India  are  the  two  largest  student 
centers  in  the  world.  Tokyo  has  fifteen  thousand  students  of  college 
and  university  rank  and  many  more  thousands  in  high  and  girls’ 
schools.  The  Imperial  University  in  Tokyo,  with  thoroughly 
equipped  buildings  and  large  campus,  is  but  one  of  four  large  uni- 
versities in  the  city;  its  department  on  earthquakes  and  seismology 
leads  the  world.  Professional  and  special  schools  dot  the  city. 

As  knowledge  of  modern  science  increases,  belief  in  the  old  idols 
goes.  Such  knowledge  has  gone  to  the  East  from  the  West.  What 
are  we  doing  to  give  them  that  Christian  faith  which  has  enabled 
us  to  study  the  sciences  and  at  the  same  time  to  increase  our  faith 
in  God,  the  Father  of  all? 


4 


Christianity  has  taken  a firm  hold  especially  among  the  educated 
classes,  yet  it  is  estimated  that  eighty  per  cent  of  the  fifty-three 
millions  of  the  empire  have  never  heard  the  Christian  message.  At 
the  request  of  the  missionaries,  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Asso- 
ciation began  work  in  Japan  fifteen  years  ago.  There  are  about 
thirty  student  Associations.  In  Tokyo  there  is  a new  building  for 
general  work,  with  well-equipped  gymnasium  and  domestic  science 
department,  and  three  dormitories  in  different  parts  of  the  city. 
In  Yokohama,  in  addition  to  the  general  city  work,  the  special 
feature  is  the  school  for  women  and  girls  emigrating  to  America. 
The  Osaka  Association  was  opened  in  1917.  What  are  two  secre- 
taries in  Osaka,  where  there  are  fifty  thousand  girls  in  the  factories, 
exclusive  of  all  the  other  kinds  of  girls? 

Requests  have  come  for  Associations  in  Kobe,  Kyoto,  Sendai 
and  Nagasaki. 

What  are  you  doing  to  share  the  Young  Women’s  Christian 
Association  with  the  young  women  of  Japan? 


5 


IT  HAPPENS  IN  JAPAN 


Scene 

I. 

On  the  farm  of 
Tokyo. 

Matsuda  San  many  miles  from 

Scene 

II. 

A month  later. 
Tokyo. 

In  a students’  boarding-house  in 

Scene 

III. 

Three  years  later. 

In  a Japanese  prison. 

Scene  IV. 

Two  years  later, 
in  Tokyo. 

In  “The  Garden  of  Good  Friends” 

CHARACTERS 

In  order  of  entrance 

Matsuda  San 
Hara  San,  a neighbor 
Saki,  daughter  of  Matsuda  San 
Michi  I 

Kiku  I girls  studying  in  Tokyo 

Chiyo  J 

Ichiro,  a man  studying  in  Tokyo 
Ume  (Ume)  1 

Masa  I serving  sentence  in  a Japanese  prison 

Hana  | 

secretaries  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

Hoshino  San,  committee  member  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

An  Imperial  Messenger 

You  will  want  to  know  more  about  Japanese  girls.  Read  Alice 
M.  Bacon’s  “Japanese  Girls  and  Women,”  published  by  Hough- 
ton Mifflin  Co.,  and  Ruth  Emerson’s  “Japan  To-day,”  published 
by  The  Woman’s  Press. 


Miss  Ray 
Yoshida  San 


6 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  PRODUCTION 


SCENE  I 

Characters 

Matsuda  San  (Mrs.  Pine-field) 

Hara  San  (Mrs.  Meadow) 

Matsuda  Saki  (Miss  Blossom  Pine-field) 

Have  various  other  women  and  an  old  man  or  two  trans- 
planting the  rice. 

Costumes 

Dark  kimono,  the  bottom  of  the  skirts  tucked  into  their  belts 
(“having  their  loins  girt”).  Below  show  the  gay  untrimmed  petti- 
coats, scarlet  or  orange,  knee  length.  Light  brown  stockings  to 
represent  bare  legs.  It  may  be  possible  to  find  the  large  flat  hats 
of  Japanese  farmers.  One  could  have  her  head  bound  in  blue  and 
white  toweling.  Saki,  as  a student,  wears  the  hakama,  which  is 
a plain  pleated  skirt,  usually  very  dark  garnet,  or  a dark  blue  or 
dark  green,  a belt  of  the  same  material;  no  obi.  The  hakama  is 
worn  over  the  kimono.  Throughout  the  play  all  kimonos  must  be 
plain,  quiet  colors,  for  no  respectable  woman  would  be  seen  in  public 
in  any  other. 

Scenery 

Pots  of  bushes  or  branches  at  wings  and  rear.  Rows  of  rice 
cover  most  of  the  stage,  set  on  floor  in  rows  which  are  eighteen 
inches  apart  and  six  to  ten  inches  between  rice  plants.  For  these 
use  chives,  which  usually  can  be  bought  in  bunches  at  five  or  ten 
cents.  Each  bunch  should  be  divided  into  four  or  eight  “rice 
plants.”  If  no  chives  are  procurable,  onion  tops  could  be  used  or 
heavy  grasses  six  to  eight  inches  high.  Or  turn  the  field  into  a 
radish  patch,  for  the  Japanese  grow  very  large  radishes,  or  it 
might  be  a lettuce  bed.  All  these  could  be  made  of  green  paper. 
At  one  side  of  the  stage  a mound  of  earth  (brown  cloth)  on  which 
Saki  can  sit.  Entrance  from  wings  where  convenient. 

It  will  add  to  the  picture  to  have  the  rear  drop  of  pale  blue  for 
sky,  with  snow-crowned  Fujiyama  painted  on  it.  You  can  find 
Fuji  on  almost  any  Japanese  picture.  While  Fujiyama  is  not  seen 
from  every  point  in  Japan,  it  is  the  best-loved  mountain  there,  and 
is  used  by  the  Japanese  themselves  as  most  typical  of  their  scenery. 

7 


Business 

Rice  is  usually  planted  first  in  a nursery  and  when  the  plants  are 
six  inches  high  is  transplanted.  The  women  can  be  dividing  the 
rice  from  a large  solid  clump  to  plant  in  the  ground  in  small  bunches. 


SCENE  II 

Characters 

Said 

Michi  (Road) 

Kiku  (Chrysanthemum) 

Chiyo  (A  Thousand  Generations) 

Ichiro  San  (Mr.  Number  One)  a man. 

If  more  speaking  parts  are  desired,  the  conversations  can  be 
divided  among  more  than  three  girls. 

Scenery 

Entrance  where  convenient.  Interior,  Japanese  boarding-house 
kitchen.  The  stoves  are  braziers  of  charcoal  set  on  a low  bench. 
There  should  be  several,  but  not  one  for  each  character.  Low, 
wide  flower  pots  can  be  used,  or  plain,  dark  jardinieres;  many  of 
these  which  we  use  for  flowers  here  are  in  reality  Japanese  stoves! 
To  be  truly  Japanese  aJl  floors  except  the  kitchen  would  be  covered 
with  padded  matting.  A table,  knives,  chopsticks,  cooking  pots. 
Plain  walls,  which  in  reality  would  be  sliding  wooden  frames 
covered  with  white  rice  paper.  If  desirable  one  wall  can  be 
opened,  showing  garden. 

Business 

Girls  busy  preparing  supper.  Some  squatting  at  stoves,  fanning 
fire  from  below,  stirring  contents  of  pot  with  chopsticks;  others 
standing  at  table  preparing  food. 

Costumes 

All  girls  in  kimono  and  hakama,  for  all  are  students.  Man  in 
kimono,  plain  dark  blue  or  small-figured  black  and  white,  a soft 
sash  any  color,  tied  in  a careless  bow  at  back.  All  wear  white 
cotton  tabi  (mitten  socks)  and  no  sandals,  since  this  is  in  the  house. 
If  not  convenient  to  make  tabi  use  white  stockings — not  silk! 


8 


SCENE  III 


A Japanese  Prison 

Characters 

Ume  (Plum  Blossom) 

Masa  (Righteousness) 

Hana  (Flower) 

Saki 

Other  girls  if  desired 
Scenery 

Plain  walls  and  floor.  No  decorations,  low  table,  ten  inches 
high.  Entrance  where  convenient. 

Business 

Girls  can  be  sewing,  making  a new  kimono.  Sit  on  floor,  sewing 
spread  on  floor. 

Costumes 

Very  plain  kimono.  Dark  obi,  likely  to  be  cheap  black  satin. 
Use  any  dark  color  for  them.  An  obi  is  a stiff  belt  eight  to  ten 
inches  wide,  tied  behind  in  one  short  loop  and  one  short  end. 


Characters 


SCENE  IV 


Miss  Ray,  an  American  secretary 
Yoshida  San,  a Japanese  secretary 
Hoshino  San,  a committee  chairman 

students  from  the  student 

from  prison.  Scene  III. 
Imperial  Messenger 


Saki  1 
Kiku  I 
Michi  I 
Chiyo  J 
Hana  | 
Ume  ) 


I of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 


boarding-house  in  Scene  II. 


9 


Costumes 

Miss  Ray,  simple  American  business  dress. 

Madame  Hoshino  and  Yoshida  San,  in  dark  kimono,  as  beauti- 
ful obi  as  you  want  (not  in  reds),  white  tabi.  No  hats,  for 
they  are  not  worn  in  Japan. 

Michi  I 

Kiku  > still  wear  student  hakama 
Chiyo  J 

Others  may  wear  same  kimono  as  in  prison  scene,  but  with 
pretty  obi. 

All  wear  white  tabi. 

Imprerial  Messenger,  in  gorgeous  coronation  red. 

For  the  ceremonies  of  the  coronation,  men  were  required  to 
wear  either  the  modern  costume  worn  nowadays  in  the  courts  of 
Europe  or  the  ancient  costume  of  old  Japan.  Use  the  latter,  it  is 
so  much  more  picturesque!  The  white  full  trousers  like  bloomers 
come  to  the  ankle  held  in  by  the  scarlet  flaring  gauntlet-like  tops 
of  black  heelless  slippers.  The  scarlet  kimono  reaches  half  way 
below  the  knees;  high  square  neck;  sleeves  very  wide  at  their 
bottoms,  reaching  to  edge  of  kimono;  narrow  belt  of  blue;  a black 
skull  cap.  At  its  back  a narrow,  stiff,  flat  loop  three  inches  high, 
and  a narrow  flat  stiff  end  which  curves  up  and  out  behind  quite 
like  a handle! 

Properties 

Messenger  carries  a narrow  oblong  box  tied  with  elaborate 
tassels  in  which  is  a roll  of  stiff  white  paper;  imperial  edict  paper 
is  eighteen  inches  long  by  eight  inches  wide,  wound  round  with 
long  streamers  of  the  colors  used  at  the  coronation,  red,  white, 
yellow,  purple  and  green,  because  they  are  the  colors  in  the  tail 
of  the  imperial  phoenix.  The  roll  unrolls  from  right  to  left 
because  Japanese  is  written  in  columns  from  right  to  left. 

Scenery 

An  ordinary  Japanese  room  as  given  in  suggestions  for  Scene 
II.  A picture  scroll  hanging  on  wall.  A window  where  con- 
venient; doors  on  opposite  sides  of  the  stage. 


10 


IT  HAPPENS  IN  JAPAN 

SCENE  I 

A rice  field;  two  women  transplanting  young  rice 

Mitani  San:  How  late  Saki  is  in  coming  home  from  school.  But 
then,  she  is  always  late  these  days  when  she  could  help 
with  the  transplanting  of  the  rice. 

O Hara  San:  Why  do  you  keep  her  in  school?  She  is  far  over 
the  age. 

Mitani  San:  Yes,  she  finished  the  required  school  two  years  ago, 
but  she  wants  to  go  to  the  city  to  study.  Her  teacher 
says  that  if  we  let  her,  she  can  make  much  money. 

O Hara  San:  But  are  you  not  going  to  have  her  marry? 

Mitani  San:  Oh,  yes,  she  must  marry.  Later  we’ll  find  a man 
for  her. 

O Hara  San:  That  will  be  hard  after  she  has  been  to  the  city. 

Here  she  comes  now  down  the  road. 

Mitani  San:  No  wonder  she  takes  so  long  to  walk  home.  See! 
she  is  reading  as  she  walks.  All  her  money  goes  into 
books.  So  many  translations  of  the  foreign  books.  Her 
father  wants  her  to  read  the  ancient  Chinese  classics,  but 
they  do  not  please  her. 

(Enter  Saki  reading  a Western  book.) 

Bows  low  to  her  mother,  but  sits  down  on  the  edge  of 
rice  field,  under  tree,  and  continues  to  read. 

Mitani  San  (watches  her  for  a minute)  : Saki,  can  you  not  stop 
your  reading  long  enough  to  help  a little  with  the  rice? 
We  want  to  finish  this  before  the  sun  goes  down. 


11 


Saki:  How  can  I step  into  the  mud  when  I have  on  my  hakama? 
(Points  to  the  student  skirt.) 

Mitani  San:  Oh,  yes,  I so  often  forget  how  proud  you  are  of 
your  student  skirt ! 

O Hara  San:  Truly  your  hakama  does  keep  you  from  helping 
your  mother — so  does  all  this  new  high  education  unfit 
our  Japanese  girls  for  their  real  work. 

Saki:  What  is  women’s  real  work?  Certainly  not  to  be  the 
slaves  of  men  as  we  are!  We  must  be  recognized  as  the 
equals  of  men  and  indeed  often  their  superiors!  The 
newspapers  talk  about  a new  Japan  which  is  the  equal  of 
the  western  nations.  We  cannot  have  a new  Japan  as 
long  as  half  of  the  nation,  the  women,  have  no  voice  of 
their  own;  as  long  as  they  must  stifle  all  their  talents  and 
be  only  the  empty  echoes  of  the  men. 

O Hara  San  (much  shocked):  Saki!  Saki!  how  can  you  say 
such  things!  That  is  heresy.  It  is  quite  contrary  to  all 
the  old  teachings  about  women. 

Saki:  I know  that!  The  Ancient  Wisdom  was  written  for  a 
Japan  that  was  shut  up  in  its  own  walls  caring  nothing 
for  the  rest  of  the  world.  Those  days  are  gone.  How  can 
a man  walk  when  one  foot  stays  five  leagues  behind  the 
other?  Our  men,  our  armies,  are  the  allies  of  the  Western 
nations  in  a European  war.  A few  years  ago  they  made 
the  world  stop  and  watch  their  splendid  medical  work  in 
the  Japanese  Russian  War.  But  the  other  foot  of  Japan 
— the  women!  The  world  smiles  at  us  as  at  a little  child 
and  says:  “Oh,  the  cunning  thing  with  her  pretty  obi  and 
her  fan.’’  Yet  our  brains  are  as  good  as  a Western 
woman’s. 

O Hara  San:  It  has  long  been  thought  indecent  for  a self-respect- 
ing woman  to  use  her  brain  overmuch.  You  remember 


12 


that  we  are  taught  that  “such  is  the  stupidity  of  woman’s 
character  that  it  is  incumbent  on  her  in  every  particular  to 
distrust  herself  and  obey  her  husband.’’ 

Saki:  Much  of  the  Ancient  Wisdom  is  out  of  date!  Our  contact 
with  the  West  has  made  us  adopt  the  Western  calendar. 
It  also  forces  us  to  demand  for  women  their  necessary  place 
as  men’s  equals.  Here  in  this  very  book  it  says,  “The 
woman’s  cause  is  man’s:  they  rise  or  sink  together,  dwarf’d 
or  godlike,  bond  or  free:  if  she  be  small,  slight-natured, 
miserable,  how  shall  men  grow?’’ 

Mitani  San:  Gently,  gently,  daughter.  We  know  how  you  feel 
but  the  time  has  not  yet  come  for  you  to  climb  Mount 
Fuji  alone. 

(Saki  opens  book  and  begins  to  read.  O Hara  San  watches  her 
a minute,  then  speaks.) 

O Hara  San:  You’d  better  plant  rice  even  if  you  do  wear  a 
student  skirt. 

Saki:  Mother,  teacher  says  it  is  time  to  start  to  the  city,  for  the 
school  there  opens  very  soon.  I’m  going  in  now  to  finish 
weaving  the  silk  for  my  best  obi.  (Exit.) 

Mitani  San:  You  see  she  is  interested  in  something  domestic.  She 
likes  to  weave  silk. 

O Hara  San:  I know  that  you  have  done  your  best  to  teach  her 
the  whole  duty  of  a woman.  She  knows  the  wisdom  of 
the  sages  “that  the  five  worst  infirmities  that  affect  women 
are  indocility,  discontent,  slander,  jealousy  and  silliness. 
The  worst  of  them  and  the  parent  of  the  other  four  is 
silliness.”  I fear  she  is  afflicted  with  it.  Indeed,  I think, 
neighbor,  you  would  do  well  to  take  her  out  of  school. 

Curtain 


13 


SCENE  II 


In  a city  boarding  home.  Several  girls  busy  preparing  a meal. 

Michi:  This  charcoal  bums  so  slowly  today,  and  I’m  in  such  a 
hurry  to  get  back  to  school. 

Kiku:  It’s  a bother  to  have  to  cook  when  one  wants  to  study. 

Chiyo:  Wouldn’t  it  be  fine  if  we  could  live  where  our  meals  were 
prepared  for  us?  What  time  it  would  save. 

Michi:  Time,  yes!  Money — no. 

Kiku:  It  might  not  cost  any  more.  There  is  a girl  in  one  of  my 
classes  who  lives  at  the  student  hostel  of  the  Young 
Women’s  Christian  Association.  They  have  a large  new 
building,  half  Japanese,  half  foreign,  in  Kanda,  quite  near 
the  school  so  she  does  not  need  to  spend  money  on  the 
street  cars.  They  have  a gymnasium,  she  says,  there 
where  they  can  play  games  besides  having  pleasant  bed- 
rooms and  good  food. 

Chiyo:  You  know  many  of  us  spend  so  much  time  studying  that 
we  do  not  take  time  to  cook  enough  to  live  on.  I’m  sure 
that  was  the  reason  that  girl  went  home  last  week,  too 
sick  to  study. 

Kiku : I wish  our  schools  had  their  own  dormitories.  If  we  could 
live  in  the  schools  how  much  time  we  would  save!  We 
could  have  a chance  for  more  study  and  perhaps  for 
some  games.  Some  of  the  Christian  schools  teach  their 
girls  Western  games  like  tennis.  Oh,  how  I hate  this 
boarding-house  life! 

Chiyo:  How  can  you?  I think  it  is  far  more  pleasant  to  live 
here  in  a student  boarding-house  than  at  home.  Here  we 
have  no  rules;  we  are  entirely  free  to  come  and  go  as  we 
choose.  It’s  such  a relief  to  me  after  my  own  home,  for 


14 


my  parents  are  so  old-fashioned  that  I was  as  happy  v/ith 
them  as  a whale  in  a goldfish  pond. 

Michi:  It  doesn’t  make  much  difference  to  me  where  I live  if  I 
can  study!  I wish  the  rest  of  you  were  taking  that  new 
course  in  biology.  The  laboratory  work  is  far  more  inter- 
esting than  any  I’ve  had  yet. 

Saki  (at  the  door,  in  a scared  voice)  : I beg  pardon.  (No  one 
hears  her.) 

Chiyo:  I’m  sure  it’s  not  half  so  fascinating  as  my  course  in  modern 
European  literature. 

Saki  (again,  a little  more  assured)  : I beg  pardon.  May  I cook 
here? 

Chiyo  (aside  to  Michi)  : That  must  be  the  new  one,  who  has 
taken  the  room  opposite  the  two  men.  (To  Saki)  Yes, 
this  is  where  we  all  must  cook.  Come  in,  it’s  each  for 
herself  of  course. 

Saki  bows  her  thanks,  enters  with  food  and  small  cooking 
pot,  but  there  is  no  place  for  her  to  work. 

(Enter  Ichiro.) 

Ichiro:  Hurry  up,  someone,  and  make  a place  for  me. 

Michi:  Indeed,  no.  We  belong  to  the  New  Woman’s  Society, 
so  we  know  now  that  women  have  rights  as  well  as  men. 
No  longer  are  we  the  slaves  of  men.  You  can  just  wait 
your  turn  at  the  stove. 

Saki  (aside  to  Chiyo)  : Oh,  how  can  any  Japanese  girls  talk  so 
freely  to  a man!  Surely  they  cannot  have  had  the  proper 
home  training!  I would  never  do  that. 

Kiku  (to  Ichiro)  : There’s  a new  rice  plant  fresh  from  the  nursery. 
She  does  not  yet  know  city  ways  and  no  doubt  still  obeys 
the  men  of  her  family.  Possibly  she’d  cook  your  rice  for 
you. 


15 


Ichiro  (approaches  Saki)  : Oh!  you’re  the  new  one  in  the  room 
opposite  me? 

Saki;  I — I — I don’t  know  where  your  room  is.  Mine  is — 

Kiku:  Yes,  she  has  taken  the  room  opposite  you.  See  to  it  that 
you  don’t  shock  her  country  manners  with  your  fresh  city 
ways.  She  doesn’t  seem  like  a flower  for  you  to  pick. 

Ichiro:  Oh,  come  now,  little  Miss  Rice-field,  you’ll  be  glad  to 
have  me  come  to  your  room  to  talk  and  drink  tea,  won’t 
you? 

Saki  (much  embarrassed)  : Indeed,  sir,  my  parents  have  never 
allowed  me  to  talk  to  men  who  are  not  my  relatives. 

Ichiro:  Did  you  come  to  Tokyo  to  study? 

Saki:  Yes,  I did. 

Ichiro:  Then  you  must  have  read  the  new  books  and  know  there 
are  new  ways  now. 

Saki:  I’ve  read  every  one  I could  get  hold  of.  That’s  why  I 
came  to  Tokyo. 

Ichiro:  That’s  the  way  the  bird  flies,  is  it?  Very  good,  soon  the 
rice  bird  will  learn  to  be  a city  sparrow.  Soon  you’ll 
drink  tea  with  me. 

(Saki  hastily  leaves  room,  in  confusion.  Much  laughter.) 

Curtain. 


16 


SCENE  III 

In  a prison.  Several  girls  seated. 

Ume : I knew  that  people’s  faces  changed  as  they  grew  older,  and 
she  has  been  here  two  years,  but  that’s  not  it,  for  the 
change  is  very  recent.  It  has  come  the  past  few  months 
and  it’s  funny,  but  she  really  looks  younger.  How  can 
one  grow  younger  as  one  grows  older,  and  especially  here 
in  prison? 

Masa:  Looks  aren’t  as  important  as  actions,  and  she  certainly  is 
different  in  her  actions.  She  never  used  to  speak  to  one  of 
us,  and  now  she  talks  to  us  all  and  is  so  friendly.  I thought 
at  first  she  was  proud  of  having  been  a student,  but  she 
never  mentions  that. 

Hana:  Who  is  this  you  are  talking  about? 

Ume;  You  are  a newcomer,  so  of  course  you  don’t  know.  We 
mean  Matsuda  Saki. 

Hana:  Why  is  she  here? 

Masa:  She  Wcis  a student  and  stabbed  a man. 

Hana;  Then  she  is  in  prison  for  life. 

Ume:  No,  the  man  recovered. 

Hana.  But  what  has  happened  to  her? 

Masa:  That  is  just  what  we  all  want  to  know.  Here  comes  the 
matron.  Maybe  she  can  tell  us. 

(Enter  Matron;  all  bow  respjectfully. ) 

Matron;  I overheard  you  say  that  I may  know  something.  What 
is  troubling  you? 

Several  girls:  What  has  happened  to  Saki? 

Matron:  Happened?  Nothing,  she  is  now  in  the  kitchen. 

Ume:  No!  We  all  know  she  is  still  here  in  prison.  We  mean, 
what  has  changed  her  so  much  recently. 


17 


Matron;  What!  Have  you  all  felt  it,  too?  I knew  she  was  more 
willing  to  cooperate,  no  longer  sullen  and  morose.  She 
is  indeed  a new  woman,  but  I do  not  know  why,  except 
that  every  minute  she  is  reading  a little  book. 

Hana:  Can’t  you  send  for  her  and  ask  her? 

Matron;  You  go  yourself  and  bring  her.  (Exit  Hana.) 

Ume;  You  know  how  we  see  on  the  billboards,  advertisements 
of  cold  cream  and  rouge  and  eye  black  and  lipsticks  and 
all  those  things  to  make  you  beautiful?  And  in  the  news- 
papers there  is  always  some  new  secret  on  how  to  be  young 
at  thirty.  Maybe  Said  has  one  of  those. 

Saki  (enters  with  Hana)  ; You  sent  for  me,  madame? 

Matron;  Yes,  Saki,  the  girls  are  discussing  the  question  that 
interests  so  many  women,  good  looks.  They  want  to 
know  what  has  happened  to  you  lately.  What  has  made 
your  face  change  so  much? 

Saki  (eagerly)  ; Oh ! will  you  listen  ? I have  been  so  eager  to 
tell  you.  I have  indeed  found  the  great  secret  and  I want 
everyone  to  know.  Here  it  all  is  in  this  little  book!  (Pulls 
Bible  from  obi.)  This  book  is  the  way  and  to  it  I owe 
my  new  life.  The  first  year  I was  here  I heard  nothing 
from  my  family  nor  my  friends.  Then  one  day  a girl 
from  my  village  came  to  see  me.  (Turns  to  the  matron.) 
You  remember  her,  madame?  She  said  she  wanted  me 
to  know  she  had  not  forgotten  me  and  asked  if  she  could 
do  cuiything  for  me.  Oh,  how  I wanted  something  to 
read!  My  friend  said  she’d  get  me  a book,  but  I didn’t 
want  any  of  the  new  books  whose  advanced  thoughts  had 
brought  me  here.  Since  she  has  little  money  and  little 
education  she  went  to  a second-hand  bookstore  and  brought 
this  book  because  it  had  several  bright  pictures  and  was 
much  marked  as  if  someone  had  liked  it.  It  is  called  The 


18 


Sacred  Writings.  I was  provoked  at  first  when  I saw  the 
title,  “The  Sacred  Writings,”  for  long  ago  I gave  up  all 
belief  in  the  Sacred  Writings  of  Buddha  and  Confucius. 
But  this  is  somethbg  quite  different  about  another  Man 
and  his  friends  who  lived  off  to  the  west  across  Asia.  I 
read  the  book  over  and  over.  If  this  is  true,  I said  to 
myself,  if  this  is  true,  there  was  another  way  for  me  to  live. 
I need  not  have  gone  the  way  I did.  Why  didn’t  I 
know  before?  Here  is  one  of  the  songs,  where  someone 
who  has  sinned  asks:  “Deliver  me  from  bloodguiltiness, 
create  in  me  a clean  heart,  make  me  to  know  joy  and  glad- 
ness.” How  could  such  things  be,  and  I wondered,  for 
we  all  in  our  Buddhism  have  been  taught  “Karma,”  that 
there  is  no  escape  from  the  punishment  of  our  past  actions. 
But  I read  on  and  on,  and  found  that  truly  this  Man  Jesus 
is  God  and  through  Him  all  things  are  possible.  I have 
given  Him  my  life. 

Masa:  Do  you  mean  that  following  the  foreign  God  has  made 
you  so  different? 

Saki:  I am  glad  if  you  have  seen  the  change.  At  first  I thought 
only  of  what  a difference  this  would  make  in  my  life  after 
I left  prison  and  I spent  days  planning  what  I’d  do  after 
prison,  but  then  realized  that  it  must  make  a difference 
here  and  now,  to-day. 

Matron:  What  is  it,  Saki,  that  you  plan  to  do  after  you  leave 
here?  Can  you  tell  us? 

Saki:  Oh!  it’s  only  a dream.  But  I’m  going  to  make  it  come 
true.  I want  to  have  a Christian  home  for  girls  like  us. 
I want  girls  to  know  that  real  freedom  does  not  come 
through  breaking  the  honored  conventions,  that  the  New 
Woman’s  Society  is  only  the  gateway  to  a greater  bondage, 
for  true  liberty  is  found  only  in  service. 


19 


Masa:  Is  that  true? 

Hana:  What  a splendid  plan! 

Ume:  Oh!  if  only  there  had  been  someone  to  help  me  I’d  not 
have  been  here. 

Said:  Nor  I.  But  together  let  us  work  for  each  other  and  others 
like  us. 

Masa:  Saki  San,  if  it  is  your  book  that  tells  you  how,  will  you 
not  read  it  to  us? 

Saki:  Most  gladly!  I want  everyone  to  know  the  message  of 
the  Book. 

(Saki  opens  book  and  reads.) 

“I  have  blotted  out,  as  a thick  cloud  thy  transgressions, 
and  as  a cloud  thy  sins.  Return  to  me,  for  I have  re- 
deemed thee.” 

Curtain. 


20 


SCENE  IV 


In  Saki’s  home,  “The  Garden  of  Good  Friends.” 

Miss  Ray:  I’m  so  glad  to  be  here  at  last  for  I’ve  so  often  heard  of 
Matsuda  San’s  home  for  lonely  girls.  She  calls  it  “The 
Garden  of  Good  Friends.” 

Hoshino  Scin:  I,  too,  have  often  wanted  to  see  the  home.  We 
hear  such  good  reports  of  it. 

Yoshida  San:  I am  so  pleased  that  she  has  asked  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
to  help  her.  Here  she  comes  now. 

(Enter  Saki,  bows  politely.) 

Saki:  I am  so  grateful  to  you  for  coming  at  my  request.  I am  in 
such  need  of  your  advice  and  I thought  you  could  give 
more  if  you  saw  my  house. 

Hoshino  San:  We  are  delighted,  Matsuda  San,  to  talk  to  you 
about  the  needs  of  the  girls  of  Tokyo.  We  can  learn 
much  from  you. 

Saki : Oh,  no ! I have  turned  to  you  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  because 
I understand  that  you  know  all  about  taking  care  of  girls, 
and  I need  suggestions.  I had  planned  to  go  to  America 
to  investigate  similar  work  emd  see  how  such  homes  are 
managed  there.  I cannot  go,  so  I turn  to  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
for  help. 

Miss  Ray:  You  want  to  go  to  America?  I’ll  be  glad  to  give 
you  introductions. 

Saki:  Thank  you.  Miss  Ray,  but  I cannot  go,  for  no  Japanese 
who  has  been  in  prison  can  get  a passport  out  of  Japan. 

Hoshino  San:  Yes,  that  is  the  law,  but  how  did  you,  a woman 
with  such  a love  for  girls,  get  into  prison? 

Yoshida  San:  And  how  did  you  open  this  home  for  lonely  girls? 
Don’t  you  want  to  tell  us? 


21 


Saki:  It’s  a long  story  that  may  bore  you  and  though  I think  not, 
for  I know  you  love  girls.  I came  to  the  city  to  study 
when  I was  sixteen,  as  inexperienced  as  all  girls  of  old 
Japan.  My  parents,  village  people,  did  not  know  the  life 
of  the  city.  Even  in  the  coimtry  I had  read  many  books, 
translations  of  modern  works.  You  know  that  we  get 
many  of  them  for  only  five  cents,  and  from  them  1 learned 
about  the  freedom  of  the  Western  girl  and  wanted  it  for 
myself.  In  the  student  boarding  house  where  I lived  the 
man  in  the  room  across  from  me  often  talked  to  me  and 
said  I must  join  the  New  Woman’s  Society.  I did,  and 
finally,  influenced  by  too  advanced  teachings,  I went  to 
live  wth  him.  We  were  each  to  be  free  to  do  what  we 
wanted,  but  in  spite  of  that  understanding,  when  he  left 
me  for  another  woman,  I stabbed  him — 

All : Stabbed  him ! 

Saki:  Yes.  I was  sent  to  prison.  He  recovered,  so  it  meant 
only  three  years  instead  of  life  there.  Then,  even  as  my 
fall  came  through  translations,  so  my  new  life  came  through 
another  one.  You,  no  doubt,  know  what  I did  not — that 
there  are  two  kinds  of  books  in  the  West. 

Yoshida  San:  Yes,  I was  educated  in  the  United  States,  and 
Madame  Hoshino  in  Canada. 

Saki:  You  then  understand  what  I did  not,  that  many  of  those 
books  are  not  written  as  guides  to  action  but  as  incentives 
for  thought.  Here  often  we  do  not  know  enough  to  see 
that  the  author  is  only  trying  to  bring  out  discussion.  We 
accept  them  as  arrived  truth.  We  read  them  and  say 
that  all  Europeans  and  Americans  think  and  act  as  do  the 
characters  in  those  books.  So  we  follow  their  example. 

Hoshino : My  husband  is  chief-of-police,  as  perhaps  you  know, 
and  from  him  I hear  of  the  many  offences  committed  by 


22 


young  people  through  the  influence  of  misunderstood 
literature. 

Miss  Ray:  Yes,  we  know  there  are  far,  far  too  many.  We  must 
work  to  arouse  public  opinion. 

Yoshida  San:  Miss  Ray  is  too  modest,  so  I must  tell  you  that 
for  several  years  she  has  been  working  to  create  an  interest 
in  America  in  good  translations  for  our  girls.  The  last 
time  she  went  home  she  secured  a little  money.  We  need 
much  more,  however.  We  have  figured  out  that  if  we 
can  secure  about  five  hundred  dollars  it  will  pay  for  the 
translation  and  publication  of  one  book.  Then  the  pro- 
ceeds of  that  one  would  bring  out  the  next,  and  so  on. 

Miss  Ray:  That  is,  of  course,  a slow  process  and  we  have  a list 
of  two  dozen  modern  books  we’d  like  to  translate — live 
books,  that  deal  with  modern  questions  in  a constructive 
Christian  way. 

Saki:  We  must  have  them!  Oh,  how  we  need  them!  I am 
happy  to  hear  that  someone  is  working  on  the  problem. 
America  has  so  much  good  to  share  with  us!  Why  can’t 
she  send  us  her  best  instead  of  her  worst?  Here  I am 
forever  marked  as  a criminal  because  the  evil  books  grabbed 
me  before  the  Good  Books  found  me!  We  must  keep 
other  girls  from  making  my  mistake. 

Miss  Ray:  We  hope  so,  but  tell  us  why  you  opened  this  house. 

Saki:  You  are  Christians,  so  you  can  understand  what  the  Good 
News  meant  to  me  when  I found  it.  I must  give  it  to 
others.  As  soon  as  I came  out  of  prison  I opened  a little 
house  for  girls  with  the  money  I earned  by  writing.  To 
it  the  girls  come  as  soon  as  they  leave  prison.  Several  of 
them  and  the  matron,  who  is  now  my  housekeeper,  are 
Christians  and  we  have  several  girls  who  were  in  the 


23 


boarding-house  where  I was.  Through  one  of  them  I 
learned  of  your  work  with  students  and  your  home  for 
them. 

Yoshida  San;  Yes,  we  have  three  student  hostels,  which  accom- 
modate seventy.  But  what  is  that  among  fifteen  thousand 
women  students? 

Hoshino  San:  It  is  nothing,  scarcely  a flower  in  an  orchard  of 
blossoms! 

Yoshida  San:  We  are  thinking  too  of  all  the  young  business  girls 
who  are  now  crowding  into  our  cities.  They  too  must 
have  safe  homes. 

Saki : In  addition  to  housing  there  is  the  question  of  recreation,  and 
for  that  I need  your  special  advice.  How  can  my  girls  get 
wholesome  fun?  Think  of  the  movie  films  that  come  to 
us  from  across  the  Pacific ! Go  now  to  the  Ginza  Theater. 
How  many  of  the  thousands  of  Japanese  that  see  those 
movies  know  that  drunken  husbands  are  not  typical  of 
America?  Yet  such  pictures,  too  poor  for  America,  are 
sent  here.  The  movies  are  one  of  our  curses  when  they 
might  be  one  of  our  blessings.  But  you  all  know  this,  as 
well  as  I do. 

Yoshida  San:  We  have  at  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  one  evening  a week 
bright,  clean  movies  for  the  girls. 

Saki:  But  what  is  that  for  the  Empire  of  Japan!  You  do  much 
excellent  work.  But  what  is  one  movie  and  one  student 
secretary  for  all  the  girls  in  our  Empire?  You  should  have 
a dozen  student  secretaries  here  in  this  city  alone,  and  a 
hundred,  three  hundred  throughout  Japan!  I have  read 
too  that  in  America  they  have  Christian  Associations  for 
girls  in  towns  and  on  farms.  Oh,  if  only  I could  have 
belonged  to  such  a club  at  home  before  I came  to  the  city! 
But  that  is  too  late  now.  You  will  lend  me  your  experi- 
ence in  planning  for  my  hostel? 


24 


All:  Gladly,  gladly,  whatever  we  can  for  the  girls  of  Japan. 

Saki ; Come  let  me  show  you  through  the  house. 

Miss  Ray:  We  want  to  see  it.  (Exit  all.) 

(Girls  are  heard  talking  outside.  Enter  by  other  door.) 

Kiku:  O Ume,  how  fortunate  you  were  to  be  there!  Do  tell  us 
about  it. 

Chiyo : Did  you  see  the  princesses  ? 

Hana:  Of  course  we  all  went  to  the  palace  here  and  saw  His 
Majesty  leave  for  Kyoto.  But  you  saw  him  on  his  grand 
triumphal  entrance  into  the  city  for  his  coronation. 

Ume:  Indeed,  I was  fortunate!  Oh,  the  crowds  and  the  enthu- 
siasm when  the  Emperor  rode  in  his  golden  carriage  through 
miles  of  his  loyal  subjects.  The  streets  are  gorgeous  with 
bunting  and  flags  and  festoons  of  electric  lights.  And  oh, 
how  the  thousands  shouted  Banzai!  Banzai!  Banzai!  when 
the  cannon  from  the  palace  told  us  the  prime  minister  had 
pledged  our  loyalty  to  our  Emperor! 

Chiyo:  We  too  here  shouted  three  times.  May  he  live  a 
thouscuid  years! 

Ume:  But  have  you  heard  of  the  honors  His  Majesty  has  granted 
the  Christians?  How  he  has  decorated  thirteen  educators, 
and  seven  of  those  are  Christian  teachers,  and  he  has 
decorated  Madame  Yajima,  who  is  so  gallantly  fighting 
liquor. 

Chiyo : How  splendid ! 

Ume:  But  what  interested  me  more  was  a rumor  I heard  that 
criminals’  sentences  are  to  be  shortened,  and  their  past 
records  blotted  out. 

Kiku  (at  the  window  looking  on  the  street)  : Here,  quick!  You 
who  want  to  see  coronation  magnificence!  Here  comes 
one  of  the  impierial  household  carriages.  What  can  it  be 
doing  in  our  quiet  street? 


25 


(All  rush  to  the  window.) 

Ume:  Oh,  the  carriage  is  stopping  here!  What  can  it  mean? 
Chiyo:  It  must  be  something  for  Saki. 

(Enter  messenger)  : I seek  Matsuda  Saki. 

(Saki  enters  almost  behind  him.) 

Saki:  I am  here. 

(Yoshida  San  and  Hoshino  San  enter  with  Saki.  All  bow  low. 

Miss  Ray  stands  in  doorway.) 

Messenger:  His  Imperial  Majesty  sends  you  this  (reads): 

“To  whom  it  may  concern: 

“Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  His  Imperial 
Majesty,  having  received  the  allegiance  of  his  people  on 
ascending  the  throne  of  his  fathers,  is  pleased  to  recognize 
the  work  done  by  Matsuda  Saki  for  the  young  women  of 
his  Kingdom.  Know  all  men  that  in  the  archives  of  his 
Majesty’s  Empire  there  is  no  record  against  Matsuda  Said. 
Her  past  is  without  spot  or  blemish.” 

Saki  (bows  low,  looks  up  with  joyful  expression  and  quotes)  : “Lo, 
I have  blotted  out  thy  sins.” 

Miss  Ray:  Now  you  can  get  your  passpwrt  to  America  for  the 
sake  of  the  girls  of  Japan. 

Curtciin. 


26 


Japan  To-day.  By  Ruth  Emerson. 

A study  of  the  life  of  Japanese  women.  Recom- 
mended for  club  girls’  study.  Six  chapters,  twelve 
illustrations.  Suggestions  to  teachers  also. 


PAPER  25  CENTS 


Shanghai  Sketches.  By  Jane  Shaw  Ward. 

Interesting  descriptions  of  the  Young  Women’s  Chris- 
tian Association  in  China. 


PAPER  30  CENTS 


Inch  III  of  the  Inch  Library. 

A set  of  leaflets  put  up  in  an  inch-wide  slide  case,  contain- 
ing the  following  titles : Geographical  Adventures  in  Friend- 
ship; One  of  the  Shining  Ones;  The  Russian  Chair  in 
“Stage-Coach”;  The  Mark  on  the  Loaf;  Said,  “New 
Woman”;  Bargains;  Not  So  Very  Different;  “East  of 
Suez  ”;  Carmela,  Alien  Ally. 


l6mo.  Boxed,  NET,  CENTS 


‘bookshops  E'verywhere  or 

THE  WOMANS  PRESS 


NATIONAL 

BOARD 


YOUNG 

WOMENS 

CHRISTIAN 


ASSOCIATIONS 


600  Lexington  Avenue 


New  York  City 


